Days I get lost, lost in the leaves changing color, skies stretched with blue, rivers that wander off into the sea, and time lost between you and me. Here's Efterklang's latest single that is off their upcoming 2010 album, god I love these Danish boys.
Sweet strings and acoustic love, this song got me through the day. Here's an ever so lovely version of "Maps" by the Y.Y.Y.'s. 
Oh sweet, sweet sorrow sing gently here with me. I've been a fan of this fine gentleman A.A. Bondy since his last album "American Hearts" back in 2007. I heard this song watching House last week and instantly I was swooned with the piano, reverbed guitar, and subtle drums winning my ears attention. Still, I find his last album a bit more on the favorable side, yet this song is on repeat on this cold winter night. Also be sure to check out the song from his prior album, "There's a Reason", right here below. Happy Saturday.
It's really quite the lovely day outside, lows in the 70's, blue skies, a bit of breeze to get you through your day.... But really, all I want to do today is buy myself a bottle of this stuff right above. I could go for Knobb or Woodford even! Being a girl blows, especially when you get all emo pre-perioding and want nothing to do with your final week of school. I also might be suffering from post-graduation syndrome, loathing in what I'll be when I grow up and the I don't wanna stop being a student, cause really it's the best excuse in the world. If everything goes as "planned", the 19 units I've overloaded myself with, will all be mine and the school system can go fuck itself for the $347 I owe in their unexpected fee hikes. Higher tuition with less class time and poor treatment to my beloved teachers? No thank you.
Animal Collective's "My Girls" certainly has made it somewhere on my life's soundtrack, a song that always tends to make the shittiest of days, much much better. It played in the background for Summer of 09, got us in our beer groove for Tour de Beer in San Diego, has made me spontaneously go "Wooooo" and want to jump up off the earth in glee. I'm quite the fan of this alternative edition by a Montreal DJ named Hatchmatik, who beautifully makes this already dancey song, that much dancier! Major hearts across the board for this track, download it, love it, put it on your "going out" playlist.
I'm a Kings of Convenience girl, and more times than others I turn to them for simplicity in life. Strum me into a rainy or sunshine filled day, and swoon me with your sweet vocals. Norwegian boys sure know how to woo and ahhh their listeners, I bet if I burned one of their cds for my dad, he'd listen to it while he works on his sail boat in the harbor. Thanks to these guys, I'll always have a fascination and never ending love for build ups, gold in the air of summer, move fast with parallel lines, know that failure is the best way to learn, and rather dance with you, than that douche bag across the room. Their new album is airy, breezy, and sweet as per usual, here's some of my faves of the new album Declaration of Dependence.
The Wah Wah's to gloomtastic days, those type of days that I wish nothing but to curl up in the oh so comfortable fetus position and drown myself in the covers and music. I'm really, really sick of being on this roller coaster of emotion in life with too much school and not enough me time. Apparently I only have 5 more weeks of this educational overload and then I'm done! Being done with school is most likely the scariest thing to grace my presence in my whole life, because the months following it, I, Leiann Marie will really have to figure out my shit and just what I want to do with all this knowledge. All I really want to do upon this milestone is work for a few months, pay off some debt, save some moola, and hop on a plane or make myself a ballon like the one above, and fly away to a far off place that will inspire me to fall back in love with photography, as of recent I've been in a downward spiral and lack there of motivation. Girl needs a vacation pronto, and some me time wouldn't be so bad either... However, "This is life and every things alright."
Give me that uhhh, that Vintage sounding stuff. In my recent obsession with bands ripping off the 60's & 70's, I've most recently fallen in love with Camera Obscura and others. Here's a song I've taken a liking to by The Generationals. Love me the oweee, ahhh's and reverbin g-tar. This is a song to cruze to, a song to laugh loudly with your comrades, a song to share with your lover. Oh and don't forget to throw in some horns. 
Friday, fantastic Friday. How I love morning visits from someone who not only brings me coffee, but decadent chocolate chip cookies with some sort of magical middle, I'm having quite the start to my day! I'm currently listening to The Beta Band and dreaming about riding off into the sunset in an old 60-something convertible with hair blowing, heads bobbing, and my dearest friends having just had the best day ever. Summer is slowly fading away, someday soon it will be cold enough to sport the things I miss like stylish jackets, tights accompanied by skirts, cute heels, and getting out my dearly missed duvet comforter. Tomorrow's a Hollywood Forever Cemetery movie night with the lovelies, picnicing, wine, music, and Pee-wee's Big Adventure! Happy weekend Ya'll!
The good news is that I have a new computer that's allowed me to access my dusty ol' hard drive that's filled with mounds of music, the bad news is... Well, there really isn't any bad news to report, except that school starts next week. What ever happened to Voxtrot? They had a few reallllly good EP's, I never really got into their full length, and then they went into the fade. This song is maybe my favorite of theirs, so I'm a sucker for sexy female vocals and dreamy melodramatic electric guitars with subtle strumming. Happy Monday...
A weekend worth bantering about, revelations, and a funny little thing called love. Sometimes one gets so caught up with routine and living a life in the comfort lazy-zone, that the things one once loved are forgotten. There's this city nestled on the coast about an hour and a half outside of Los Angeles where I grew up called San Clemente. There's eroding geological wonders, vanishing beaches, epic waves, and my old bedroom that's been taken over by my parents belongings. You know you're back in your old neighborhood, when you can hear the roaring horns of trains traveling alongside the sand and the moist ocean air, sifts a salty layer upon your skin. It's happiness really.
Seldom do I come across a book that provokes me to finish it in an astounding 3 days flat till I came upon The Road, by Cormac McCarthy. A post-apocalyptic tale about a Father and son who journey through the gloomy world that has become nothing more than a damp, soiled, lifeless wasteland. The imagery is daunting with its graphic gray tones and to live a life where the ashes of hell fall upon one, is no life at all. Their enduring journey with hope that the coastline will bring some sort of real sunshine into their life, is that of a long shot, but a shot nonetheless.
Pictured above is the first brewery on our tour, which has tied in first place with Stone(located in sunny San Diego), as having the best beer I've ever had in my entire life. Mind you on this trip alone I tried well over 50 beers on our 14 day excursion up the coast. I wish they'd make these pub & grub eateries multiply the way BJ's has taken over California, one can only wish. The tastiest brews here included Twilight Ale, a perfect summer pale ale to enjoy in the sun. Mirror Mirror, a pleasant barley wine beer, likely the best I've ever had in that context. Lastly the Nitro Obsidian Stout, which truly kicked Guinness's ass, with its bodacious balance in perfection and dark undertones. What I would give for a glass of that right now on tap. For my fellow Californians, you can pick up a delectable 6 pack of Mirror Mirror Pond Ale and Black Butte Porter at your local Vons. Both are fantastic, especially the Butte, she's a smokey, dark, lush flavored mystery. I'll get into the other breweries in future posts, good day my lovers.
I love The Dodos and you should too. Really, they are the best band I've heard in a long time that balances rhythm, guitars, and vocals in such a creative way that I wonder aimlessly through my day, humming and singing their songs around the people in my life. This song in particular has been the repeat of the week, singing the chorus;
I can't say that I know any tunes by Mike Mulcahy off the top my head, nor if I've ever actually heard anything by him period. I do know that there is an beautiful compilation to be released in September featuring many of my favorite artists such as The National, Dinosaur Jr., Ben Kweller, and many other musicians to raise money for the recently widowed man with twins. Thom Yorke's track is the first to be released, and has hints of The Eraser entangled with slight synthy-electronic undertones. His brother Andy even lends his vocals, how cute.
The art of being a seductive female folk artist, who can truly enrapture their audience are few and far between. There's a sweetly bitter sorrow in Sharon Van Etten's tone, that swirls a Mazzy Star daze into day dreaming that I simply love. Her songs are weathered, like the outside of a 1920's house that has gone years without a new coat of paint and has a forever empty rocking chair on the porch that is covered in dust. This lovely lady even opened up for one of my other favorite folksters, Meg Baird back in 2008. Tell me you don't love the haunting organ entangled with her gorg. voice.
I just might like this album more than the critically acclaimed Thriller, since our girl Jo spins the hell out of this one above on a daily basis. Perfection in the groovetastic, disco stew dancing sorta way. Here's a rather decent mash of my favorite Stardust song "Music Sounds Better with You", shimmied with MJ's "Don't Stop till You Get it On". The lovelies and I danced to it last night in the comfort of our living room, as we sipped on some Chianti and clanked our glasses, to the king of pop.
Tomorrow I leave on my 14 day excursion up the coast into the eh lands of Canada, where we will explore national parks galore, venture through forests a plenty, hike the unknown, read unread libros, climb lighthouses, burn through 35mm here and there, get lost in starry skies, drink extraordinary brews & vinos, and experience life's natural wonders. I love this song, its Anco-esque, old school Cut Copy feel, has me feeling everything but a deadbeat summer. Oh illustrious world, here we come!!!
Why not do two posts back to back, of folky ass covers. She's humble and who knew Radiohead could sound so delicate, with a lady like her slowing it down and layering some good ol' six string guitar loving on it. Though I must say I miss the Jonny. Speaking of Jonny, I performed my new song "Johnny Boy" last night with the lovlies , where I sang my first feisty song ever. It was pretty awesome, I need to lay down so many tracks this summer, and begin to write brand spanking new ones.
Oh Build Ups, I love thee.
Jeff was kind enough to surprise Eugene and I on Saturday night, by swinging by Cap N' Cork to find this mysteriously on the shelf. Apparently Dogfish Head brewing Co is rather popular on the East Coast, and to come across this particular beer in Sunny ol' California is quite a find. I loved the statements slapped all over the 4 pack boasting about it being, "Perhaps the best IPA in America." It's likely the smoothest IPA I've ever had, with a subtle hoppiness and slight hints of Belgian ancestry. I could likely pass this beer off to some of my anti-IPA friends, who are fearful of embracing a little hops. Two of these weighing in at a nagrly 9%, will leave you with a Intensely. Perfect. Ahh. filled buzz for the beer lover in you. I'd give it a 9/10 and I'd reallllly like to try their 60 minute as well as their 120 minute next, that is if I can find it...
Oh dreary mornings, which incline lazy lucid dreamers to sleep in, I heart thee. Thankfully I have raked in an unsubstantial amount of z points with this here flu, to wake up at a not so late 830 and feel just fine for getting out of my plushly cozy warm bed. Larchmont producing called and the apricots tasted superb, as well as the strawberries, white peaches, and blackbean chipotle hummus... Someone even surprised me this morning, with a simple little gift that my favorite vendor at farmers market brought back for me on his trip to Egypt. I haven't witnessed a selfless act of kindness in far too long. Noah's luckily wasn't out of my favorite bagel, chocolate chip with blueberry cream cheese! So here's a song for all yee lovelies just opening your eyes and indecisive on whether to get up or not, all you half asleepers....
I'm getting over this hideous flu that made me bedridden on and off since Thursday, with unimaginable headaching and nausea galore. This somewhat spectacular Saturday has me feeling on the hunky dory side, with hopes of a full recovery by Sunday morning, so I can peruse my fave farmers markets and stock up on the best hummus, tobuli, strawberries, and veggies. Here's a song to get your weekend going by The Postmarks, remixed by my favorite French boys Tahiti 80.
I am head over heels for these boys right now, and this song here is my fav. at the moment. It's bassy,franzy, catchy, seductive, and downright sexy. Oh you boys will never know, how you make a girl feel...
Jason Lytle, who are you trying to fool? This sounds exactly like Grandaddy, but I bet you don't have to deal with the drams you were experiencing with the old members. Kudos to you for breaking free and getting back to sounding good with your acoustic, synthy, mellowdramatic, layered lovliness, I really missed you.
Blacker. Haunt me, hit me, thrill me, tease me. I'm a fan of this song, maybe even becoming a fan of her. Whimsical tunes, with distorted guitar lovage, and her more than lovely vocals layered like an onion throughout. She reminds me of female Sufjan Stevens, but sexy and diving deep in the free spirited sea.
Radiohead will always be my number one.
It's Thursday evening and I've had a longer day than usual. A ridiculous 9am math test bantering on about Fermat and Descartes, something about probability... I worked it of course, and then had to race back to our Feliz to grab my homework for another class, that I had so forgetfully forgotten at home. Upon my return, Eugene talked me into hitting up Square One for a late lunch with one of his buddies. Buttermilk chicken Sandwich with a truffle aoli, portobello mushrooms, and potato salad, I love you. Back to school I went, meandering on the 5 listening to my new mix and a class that discussed the unpleasant talk of rape, I returned home to my lovely lady and Emma bear. Realizing my birhtday party is in less than two days and my tolerance to booze is extremely low, I dubbed Jo my drinking partner for the evening in hopes of building a tolerance. A beer and a half later, I'm pretty much buzzed pleasantly listening to a youtube video of Thome Yorke my buddy sent me. Saturday should be fantastically fun, I'm just hoping that I'm liquored perfectly throughout the crawl and make it back to our home to partake in dancing and cake. So here's a song to hype myself and potentially you up for it... for my Birthday.
Once upon a time in Indio, California, my friends and I pounded our rather large bottles of Stone IPA jogging to the gates of Coachella to catch the Friendly Fires. Oh 98 degree weather, we love you... We continued sprints of running and speed walking until we arrived to them already half way through their set, damn you far away free parking! Needless to say, we nestle in the tent and are taken over by the music these guys were putting out. To see a band so rhythmically tallented and well put together, tugging at my heart made them quite possibly the BEST act of the weekend. Their album truly doesn't project their utter aweseomeness, the way they are live. I need to see these guys again in a venue somewhere in my city, I'm thinking that Troubadour show we missed, or The El Rey would be swell... To catagorize them, though they need not to be labeled, their sound is much like Bloc Party's Silent Alarm era, meets !!!, but wayyyyy better. Hearts.
This weekend I pondered why Bat for Lashes wasn't playing Coachella, what I would've given to see her work the crowd, likely wearing something fascinating and sexy. Her latest album "Two Suns", is slowly growing on me with her whispy heartfelt vocals, slightly reminding me of Tori Amos, throwing in subtle synthy beats. I'm becoming inpowered by all these lovely ladies in music lately, especially this weekend. Alison Mosshart, Karen O, Jenny Lewis, Lykke Li, and that one chick who sang in Thievery on Saturday.... Seeing these women work their magic on stage was amazing, I really need to make more music. This summer will be the summer of pure productivity and vacationing to beautious places.
I will be basking in the desert this weekend with some wonderful people, partaking in music culturing, miscellaneous adventures, dancing right round here and there, artistic expression, and beyond. I'll also be doing some real homework by documenting my experience for my Photo Journalism class in the form of a photo essay! Pretty excited about that, we'll see how the finished product comes out... Its been a longer than usual week and I'm ready to get the hell out of here for 3 days, plus we're staying at a resort that has 3 pools and a bar, d-fucking-luxe. Upon my return, expect a full report and some pictures of this hot fest.
Foot/heel tapping, some slight shrugging in my dance repertoire, and a smile aimed right at you.
"We suffer everyday, what is it for
She's one of the most beautiful beers, I've ever had the pleasure of meeting and tasting. In our inaugural meeting of the FtLMB (For the Love of Music and Beer), we started off our tasting with this here Duchess. Her quaint manor of dark cherry aroma and 6.2% wine-like characteristics, tied to being a red Belgian, swooned me into bliss, as we savored every last drop. Kinda reminded me of a Barley wine, but a million times better. This lovely lady is surely pleasant to drink with her bursting aromas and smooth taste of heaven, my lady we will meet again.
Yes, we're all doing our part through these economical times in saving money here and there, so that we can enjoy the finer things in life such as concert festival attending and vacational experiences to the unknown. Pictured above is my interpretation of the best breakfast sandwich one would get, at the oh so amazing Cafe Los Feliz. If I would've felt fancy this morning, I would've spent about $12 or $13 on such a decadent morning delight, but I didn't. I walked to my work for free coffee to acompany by free croissant(which I aquired from closing and the left over pastry adoption program) as well as the other resources in the fridge that were lying around. You too can create such a scrumptious breakfast just like me by having the following:
Delilah's in Echo Park is my favorite Cupcakery I've come across in Los Angeles thus far. I haven't always been a cupcake whore, just in the recent two years of my life, have I fallen for the inner mini cake elitest in me. Sure we've all had our fare share of mediocre, often dry cakes that have been over cooked and smothered with cheap frosting, but really theres more! I have two, well three favortie cupcakes at the moment that I split three ways with the girls and they include; red velvet topped with cream cheese frosting and perfect sprinkles, a chocolate with chocolate chunks topped with an orange cream cheese Jack Daniels frosting and perfect sprinkles, and lastly the German chocolate with chocolate chunks and this insanely perfect coconutty trad frosting. All three have wooed and won me over, and fuck places like Sprinkles and Crumbs, they suck. Delilah's truly delivers the most amazing cupcakes with the utmost of quality and satisfying flavors.
Point Break LIVE! was fucking ridiculous. For loads of laughs, I suggest you head to The Firefly on Santa Monica and take your friends for a hilariously good time. Since Keanu Reeves is such a prolific actor, they choose someone from the audience to play his part, with the help of cue cards! You could very well be chosen to play a real FBI agent and have an instant circle of bro friends at your fingertips for one night! Beware of what you wear to the show though, cause there is fake blood, you're also likely to get wet, and I can't emphasize the importance of investing in a poncho upon your arrival at the venue. Go see it this weekend folks, and buy your tix ahead of time, cause it's likely to sell out!
